SDP will withdraw.

[scroobal]

Anyone cares to bet?

After the release of the letter to LTK by CSJ containing the threat, the dye has been cast. The attempt to blackmail LTK would not go down well with voters. SDP has now painted itself in a corner.

Even if all the SDP members and supporters including the CEC are keen to field an SP candidate, knowing enough of VW, TSL, Ang or PT. I am certain that all 4 of them are sensible enough not to damage SDP or the opposition cause any further. Thats leave a bare cupboard where quality professionals are concerned. That leaves the political charlatan who has issues with submission of forms not once but twice and also the part time prostitute both of whom are not worth much in terms of votes.

Common sense will prevail. SDP should aim for 2016 and work the ground.

 

[tanwahp]

Anyone cares to bet?

After the release of the letter to LTK by CSJ containing the threat, the dye has been cast. The attempt to blackmail LTK would not go down well with voters. SDP has now painted itself in a corner.

I care to bet. SDP will not withdraw.

Even if all the SDP members and supporters including the CEC are keen to field an SP candidate, knowing enough of VW, TSL, Ang or PT. I am certain that all 4 of them are sensible enough not to damage SDP or the opposition cause any further. Thats leave a bare cupboard where quality professionals are concerned. That leaves the political charlatan who has issues with submission of forms not once but twice and also the part time prostitute both of whom are not worth much in terms of votes.

Common sense will prevail. SDP should aim for 2016 and work the ground.

Politicians aren't angels and what we see on the surface may not be real. Good chaps in the public's eyes like VW and PT who are willing to play second fiddle crumbs under a clown chairman like Jufrie. That shows that common sense may not prevail within those articulate and presentable on the surface.

 

[wikiphile]

I'm going to say SDP will not withdraw, 3CF so be it.

 

[zhihau]

Anyone cares to bet?

*sighs* the late pharaoh would be more than happy to open plate...

on a lighter side, much as me gravitate towards the notion of SDP withdrawing from a 3CF, but me favor a 3CF, it gives PAP less room for maneuver too :p:p:p

 

[yellowarse]

It will be a 3CF. So be it.

In the longer term, there are merits to a 3CF: it indicates the relative support for the two opposition parties, and a split vote might force everyone to sit down and collaborate for GE2016.

 

[leetahbah]

There is no threat or blackmail, the SDP letter appears to be a request for cooperation.

Prefer a free contest in the name of democracy..

 

[aurvandil]

Really depends on "Maurice" who is providing the funding. Let's look at the options.

If he lets WP have a straight fight, it will be to let WP win. A shock BE loss for the PAP would weaken the Son and strengthen the case for why there should a change of PM.

If he goes for the 3CF, it will be to demonstrate the power of the SDP brand with his backing. He will have to mount a heavy enough candidate who can hold his own against the WP branding. There is the risk that if SDP is mauled, the work done to rebuild the branding will go down the drain. On the other hand if SDP can hold their own, it will open the door for SDP to become an alternative that is on par with WP.

The Old Man has not been seen for a while. The non stop revelations and scandals give rise to suspicions he is again not in good shape. I take it that you have read the various hypothesis put forward by GMS. I will forward the hypothesis that BE is being held post haste because there are some concerns about the Old Man and they don't want to hold such a hot BE in a post Old Man era. Otherwise there is no reason to do this while AIM is still burning.

If the Old Man is indeed a factor, the optimum strategy would be for him to pull SDP out and let WP have a decent go at PE. If WP beats the odds and takes PE, this will strengthen the realignment in the post Old Man era. I say beat the odds because I am sure the Son can afford to pay for some nuisance third party to contest. This is however just burning money as oppo voters will ignore the nuisance candidate and vote WP.

Anyone cares to bet?

 

[billisnotathome]

There is no threat or blackmail, the SDP letter appears to be a request for cooperation.

Prefer a free contest in the name of democracy..

The letter appears remarkably combative for a request for cooperation. One would've thought the success of WP in Hougang and Aljunied would have taught them that measured, grassroots centric campaigning is the only way to win over Sinkies who let's face it, are still kiasi buggers at heart. For further evidence one only needs to look at how poorly the Holland/Bukit Timah team performed, despite being perhaps the second strongest team to be fielded out of all the opposition contesting GRCs.

 

[wwabbit]

As I have mentioned on another thread, I think SDP is will be withdrawing. It is fairly obvious to me that their plan is to look like they wish to compete, then look like they are going into a discussion with the WP, then look like they are withdrawing for the sake of 'opposition unity'. So the end effect is they get lots of free publicity, goodwill from opposition supporters, and as a bonus they could get some concessions from WP in the future in exchange for withdrawing from the BE.

The WP can see through this plan, of course, they haven't been so dumb as to immediately accept the meeting. They can kill the SDP's scheme by refusing to attend the meeting, but the SDP is now trying to force them to the table by releasing the email. Now it would be harder for the WP to refuse the meeting without making themselves look bad to the general opposition population who cannot see through the SDP's scheme.

 

[metalmickey]

If he goes for the 3CF, it will be to demonstrate the power of the SDP brand with his backing. He will have to mount a heavy enough candidate who can hold his own against the WP branding. There is the risk that if SDP is mauled, the work done to rebuild the branding will go down the drain. On the other hand if SDP can hold their own, it will open the door for SDP to become an alternative that is on par with WP.

....

If the Old Man is indeed a factor, the optimum strategy would be for him to pull SDP out and let WP have a decent go at PE. If WP beats the odds and takes PE, this will strengthen the realignment in the post Old Man era. I say beat the odds because I am sure the Son can afford to pay for some nuisance third party to contest. This is however just burning money as oppo voters will ignore the nuisance candidate and vote WP.

"Maurice"? Is this the "SDP is a clandestine PAP operation" conspiracy theory?

I don't agree that the old man has much of an influence at all. To me, the day after 2011 GE when he left the cabinet was when he exited the scene for good. I certainly do not want to believe that the PM is counting on the counsel of somebody who has one foot in the grave.

The PAP does not have a choice but to hold the BE when the AIM issue is still hot. There is no way they can drag the BE beyond 3-4 months, which is around the same amount of time they dragged Hougang. They simply cannot afford to do that. The best strategy is - the earlier the better, when the opposition parties are still caught with their pants down, when WP is still trying to figure out who the fuck is going to run, when they are also trying to figure out how to hammer the PAP on the AIM issue, when all the Benjamin Pwees are coming out of the woodwork, there has never been a better time. Nobody should be thinking about LKY. He's finished. Everybody should be looking forward, not backwards.

The more I think about it, this by-election has become something that favours neither the PAP nor any of the opposition parties, exactly like Hougang. It will just be a barometer of where things are going. For those people who have forgotten, the signal coming out from the Hougang BE is - "nothing's changed since the 2011 GE".

 

[metalmickey]

SDP: We will walk the ground at Punggol East!
WP: (silence)
SDP: We will hold talks about what to do with Punggol East!
WP: (silence)
SDP: We will do the right thing in the name of opposition unity! (Or not)
WP: (silence)
SDP: fapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfap
WP: (silence)

 

[3_M]

This is the first time I see political parties broadcasting such letter which is usually done behind the scene. Even if WP wants to negotiate, broadcasting the letters kill off all hope.

 

[Robert Half]

I do not think SDP can achieve 12.5% of the valid votes if they are involved in a 3 corners fight.

 

[yellowarse]

This is the first time I see political parties broadcasting such letter which is usually done behind the scene. Even if WP wants to negotiate, broadcasting the letters kill off all hope.

Yes, a big mistake. That's why a 3CF fight is inevitable.

 

[skponggol]

.....

Vichy WP has withdrawn.

WP withdraws motion to debate town council issue in Parliament
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20130110-394555.html

"We have yet begun to fight."

.....

 

[billisnotathome]

.....

Vichy WP has withdrawn.

WP withdraws motion to debate town council issue in Parliament
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20130110-394555.html

"We have yet begun to fight."

.....

Never start another new thread ah fuckhead? Good boy, learning fast.

 

[zhihau]

and a split vote might force everyone to sit down and collaborate for GE2016.

for a moment me thought that the last P.E already achieved this purpose... :o:o:o

 

[zhihau]

SDP: fapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfapfap
WP: (silence)

bwahahahahahahahaaa... Ooi! cannot give you points so many times in a row lah!

 

[yellowarse]

for a moment me thought that the last P.E already achieved this purpose... :o:o:o

Not directly comparable. TCB was and will always remain a PAP man, while TJS and TKL had openly cast their lot with the opposition in GE2011.

A staunch oppositionist will vote WP in their constituency any day, but would hesitate about voting for TCB, who probably got the moderate PAP votes and some of the conservative opposition (read WP supporters) vote.

 

[watchman8]

PE is right beside hougang, stronghold of LTK. Naturally WP has been running voters outreach program to PE for some years now, the result of which is seen in last GE. SDP has little hope of doing better than WP in PE, so it was weird that SDP wants to even try.

If sdp is logical, it will withdraw and make it look like it helped trick pap in agreeing to BE. Which of sdp stronger candidate wants to damage his own reputation to be the villain that helped pap win this BE by creating 3 corner fight?